By Larry Arreguin| LPL News Wire| January 24, 2026

YPSILANTI, MI — The Eastern Michigan Eagles women’s basketball team held off a late push to defeat the Northern Illinois Huskies, 72–62, on home court.

Senior forward Sisi Eleko (#14) delivered a dominant performance for Eastern Michigan, recording game highs with 25 points and 15 rebounds while logging all 40 minutes. Eleko shot 7-of-14 from the field and was a perfect 11-of-11 at the free-throw line, controlling the paint and setting the tone on both ends of the floor.

The Eagles also received strong contributions from Chilean guard Fernanda Ovalle (#6), who finished with 14 points, while Peyton Hill (#23) added 12 points and eight rebounds. Brooklyn Thrash (#3) chipped in 10 points and anchored the defense with three blocks, and Ainhoa Cea (#7) facilitated the offense with six assists.

Northern Illinois was paced by Puerto Rican guard Nadechka “Nanechka” Keka Laccen (#2), who led the Huskies with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Off the bench, Sa’Mahn Johnson (#5) provided a spark, scoring 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while Emilie Sorensen (#14) added 14 points, including two three-pointers.

As a team, Eastern Michigan shot 48% from the field and an efficient 90% from the free-throw line (18-of-20), while outrebounding the Huskies 36–26. Northern Illinois also shot 48% overall but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 3-of-14 attempts.

With the victory, Eastern Michigan improved to 9–9 overall and 3–5 in Mid-American Conference play, as the Eagles continue to build momentum heading into the heart of the MAC schedule.